First Love, True Love
by Steph05
Summary: Pure Harry/Hermione ship-iness! Discover how they're meant for each other. At last! Chapter 13! Harry and Hermione finally makeup but Malfoy makes trouble! Harry teaches him a lesson the hard way! Please R/R, thanks!.
1. Chapter 1The Beginning

Standard disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Blah blah blah.  
Now, on to the story!

  


* * *

End of year five.  
Gryffindor common room.

Hermione brushed some hair behind her ear and turned the page of the book resting on her lap. She briefly looked up whenever she heard someone entering then returned to her studying. She didn't stop reading until Harry and Ron came in and sat beside her on the couch.

"Harry, look what I've found!" She pulled out the latest edition of the Daily Prophet and thrust it at him. Harry looked at the circled type.

_"Cottage to rent. Jaspher Hills. 1BR, LR/DR, EIK, FP. Must be neat, quiet and responsible. No exotic pets. Easy access to Diagon Alley. Send owl with application to: Lhara Mahr, 3 Jaspher Hills."_

"It sounds great! Oh man, your own place!" Ron said.

"Yeah, but I wonder how much it costs. I have to make my money last." Harry said dejectedly.   
Hermione sniffed and pulled back the paper.

"You could at LEAST send an owl and find out." She returned to reading, indignant.  
Harry sighed.

"You're right. May I have the paper please?"

"Suit yourself." She said, secretly pleased.

  


Harry was surprised when he received a reply to his owl the very next day. 

_"Dear Mr. Potter. I was so happy to receive your application today. I have enclosed pictures of the cottage for your approval. The rent will be 5 galleons a month. _

On a personal note, I was a friend of your parents, Harry. I remember them fondly and would be happy to rent to you. If your teachers or guardian have concerns about a lack of supervision, please assure them that I live across the road and will be available frequently. Please sign at the bottom of this paper to accept the lease and let me know when you'd like to move in.   
Fondly, Lhara Mahr."

Harry was speechless. 5 galleons a month! He could afford that! He looked at the pictures enclosed as they panned back and forth. The cottage was small but clean and bright. The area outside was lush green and rolling hills could be seen in the distance. Hermione and Ron oohed and ahhed over the pictures as Harry signed the paper. Hedwig left with the contract.

"I'm so jealous, Harry. You're so lucky!" Ron said. Ron still shared a very crowded house with his family.

"Oh Harry this looks wonderful! Look, there's a cauldron already! And shelf for all of your potion ingredients! And a spot for a garden in the back!"

"Yeah. Thanks for finding this for me, Hermione." he said, touching her arm. She looked up and smiled back at him.

"You're welcome."

* * *

In the weeks to come, Hermione almost seemed more excited about the cottage than Harry. She would bring things to him every day - books, plants, rugs, pictures - ideas about decorating the cottage. Ron and Harry exchanged glances that said they were less interested in the decorations and more interested in the location - so close to Diagon Alley!

Finally, the day arrived. Exams were over and they'd all passed - Hermione, of course, was still the top student out of all of the houses. Hermione and Ron were going home to spend the summer with their families, but Harry - for the first time - would be on his own, in his own house. Ron and Hermione made him promise to invite them to spend some time at his cottage and Harry happily agreed.

He said good-bye to his friends at Kings Cross Station and pushed his cart down the ramp out to the street. Uncle Vernon was waiting impatienty, looking at the other Hogwarts passengers with a mix of fear and disgust.

"Back again, eh boy?" he grunted. His small eyes seemed to shoot daggers at Harry. Perhaps Uncle Vernon had been hoping Harry had met with a tragic accident at Hogwarts? Well, enough of this! Harry straightened up and looked Uncle Vernon in the eye.

"No, _Uncle_ Vernon, I'll never stay with you and your vile family again. I'm an adult now, remember? I've got my own money. I've rented my own place. I've no need to see you or your _family_ anymore!" Technically Harry wouldn't be sixteen (and legally an adult) for a couple of months, but he didn't care.

Uncle Vernon squinted at him as though trying to concentrate and then his face brightened.

"That's right! You ARE an adult now. Legally done with ya, aren't I! Good riddance! Ha ha!"   
He jumped into his car and drove away, laughing happily to himself. But if Uncle Vernon was happy, it was nothing compared to what Harry was feeling.

Free at last! He felt like a great weight had been lifted from his chest and wanted to dance with joy.

He took a taxi to downtown London and made his way to the Leaky Cauldron. Once he passed through to Diagon Alley, he charmed his cart to float behind him and walked to his new home. He wasn't walking long before he topped a hill and saw his cottage before him. It was, of course, exactly like the pictures. It was framed by the rolling hills behind it and seemed to be somewhat like Hagrid's hut. He tried to control his excitement and not run the rest of the way.

He stopped first at the home of Lhara Mahr, the woman who lived across the road to get his key. Her home was a large two-story house with latticework above the wrap-around porch, a white picket fence and flowers growing everywhere. It was like something out of a fairy tale! Attached to the side of the house was a small shop containing hundreds of plants. The sign outside simply said "Mahr's ". He knocked on the front door and it opened by itself.

"Hello?"

"He-ll-ooo-ooo!" a cheery voice called out.

"I'm here about the cottage?" he called from the porch.

"Harry?" suddenly a woman came out to greet him. She looked to be in her late thirties with long brown hair and brown eyes. She was bubbly and smiling, wearing a dress with a green and brown leaf pattern. When she saw him, her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened.

"Oh! Harry! Of course it's you. You look .... You look ... just like your father." Tears sprang to her eyes but she quickly blinked them away. Harry glanced down at his feet and then back up, secretly pleased that she recalled his parents so warmly.

"Come in! Come in!"

Her home was just like the outside, very pretty and earthy. There were plants and animals everywhere. A delicious smell was coming from the kitchen and it felt ... homey.

Over tea and biscuits, they talked about Hogwarts (Lhara was a graduate who majored in Herbology) and his parents. Harry could have listened to her talk for hours, but they both noticed the setting sun.

"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry! You'll want to get settled! Let's go!"

As they walked outside, a soft glow (lightning bugs!) hovered overhead, lighting the way. Lhara opened the door and handed him the key. Harry squeezed it in his hand. His own key. His own place. She showed him around the cottage quickly lighting lamps as she moved - showed him where Hedwig would be happy and then excused herself.

"If you want to have breakfast tomorrow, I'll be eating about 8:30, ok? But feel free to stop by anytime." She smiled warmly.

"Thank you."

She closed the door and Harry was alone in the small cottage. Suddenly he jumped up and down and shouted out loud.

"Yes! Yes! Wooo Whoo!" Free of the Dursleys! Free to do whatever he wanted! No more Aunt and Uncle and stupid Dudley! No more nasty looks, cutting remarks and nearly starving!

He raced around the cottage, touching things, dancing, whooping, and laughing. Harry collapsed in the bed and before he knew it, had fallen fast asleep, a huge smile on his face.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Harry unpacked and made the cottage his home. Hedwig was happy to be free of the cage; able to roam and fly wherever she wanted. She returned one day with a letter from Sirius Black - Harry's godfather. Harry had written of his new home and even though he knew it was dangerous for Black (still hiding out), he invited him to visit any day. 

Harry's sixteenth birthday came with a pile of cards and presents from his friends. Hermione sent him a _Potion-Helper_ kit, Level Six. He touched the leather case with appreciation. Potions class was still his weakest subject and Professor Snape loved nothing more than pointing this out. If this kit could help him, maybe this coming year's work would be bearable. Ron sent him a ticket to the International World Cup of Quidditch in the fall (actually courtesy of Ron's father). Harry was so excited about seeing professional Quiddich that he almost forgot to open his other presents! Hagrid sent a card and a Never-Empty Bag of Berthie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. And the last package was a note from Sirius. The card simply said "Happy 16th Birthday, Harry." Taped to the inside of the card was a key. Written underneath were the numbers 383 and the words "Have Fun!" Harry recognized the key as a vault key from Gringotts Bank. When he checked out the vault later, it contained 100 galleons. Harry moved the money to his vault, but didn't spend it. He decided to save it for when Sirius was finally cleared of the charges against him and they could finally live together.

At last, Harry was safe, warm and happy.


	2. Chapter 2Revelations

Chapter 2

  
  


True to his word, he invited Ron and Hermione to visit his new home. Mrs. Weasley, always worried, wrote to Lhara to make sure the boys would have some supervision. Only when Lhara assured Mrs. Weasley that she would be there to watch over them did Ron get permission to come. Hermione wrote back right away that her parents had agreed to the visit. Hermione's parents were both Muggles but felt immense pride that their daughter was magically gifted. Harry had always envied his two best friends their families who loved their children unconditionally.

Harry arranged to meet his friends at _Flourish and Blotts'_ bookstore on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon. Hermione was stroking the _Monster Book of Monsters_ (to the bookstore owner's chagrin) when Ron and Harry walked in.

They had a great time together, the three of them. With minimal adult supervision they had free range of Diagon Alley and all of its treasures. They explored every shop and every restaurant, Harry generously buying little gifts for his friends. When it got dark, they stayed up late playing Wizard's Chess (Ron still won).

"I'm glad you guys came." He said.

There was only one bed in his cottage so they agreed that Hermione would sleep in the bed, Ron would sleep on the couch and Harry slept on the floor in a sleeping bag. The bedroom didn't have an official 'door' so they hung a blanket to give her some privacy.

Their merry threesome came to an end when Mrs. Weasley sent an urgent owl telling Ron to come home right away. His great-great-aunt Wilhelmina was coming to visit and he was ordered home. Or else! Reluctantly, Ron left Hermione and Harry but they cheered him up when they mentioned how quickly the next year of school was coming around. 

"Only three more weeks and we'll see each other again."

"Yeah. I can hardly wait! And this year, I'll be on our Quidditch team! We'll be unstoppable!"   
Ron said. Harry agreed happily and waved goodbye as the train pulled away.

Hermione wasn't scheduled to leave until the next afternoon so for the rest of the day, it was just the two of them. They wandered around checking out the stores, gazing wistfully at the new Quidditch supplies and getting ice cream. When the weather started turned dark and stormy, they hurried back to Harry's cottage. Just as they closed the door, a heavy rain came pouring down. Harry lit a fire and they cooked a hearty meal. They played a nice game of Wizard's Chess by the light of the fire and a few candles.

Towards the end of the game, Harry looked up from the board and was suddenly struck by something.  
Something extraordinary.

_Hermione was beautiful._

It felt as though he was seeing her clearly for the first time. He blinked once, twice. He tilted his head and looked at her again. There was no denying it. Hermione was striking. Her lightly freckled skin enhanced the darkness of her brown eyes. _Had her eyelashes always been so long? And her lips!_ She chewed her bottom lip as she concentrated and Harry had to look away. He smoothed a wrinkle in his pants and slowly looked back at her. Her hair, still a bit on the wild side, was a rich honey color that made him want to reach out and touch it. He coughed and smoothed the wrinkle on his pants again. He tried to concentrate on the board.

Hermione looked up from the game, frowning.  
"Am I taking too long? I've still got-"

"No, no. Go on."

Hermione shrugged and made her move. Her knight moved forward, threatening his king. Harry now had something to think about besides her soft brown eyes. 

Hermione looked up at Harry and raised an eyebrow. He seemed to be acting funny all of the sudden, she thought. While she waited for him to make a move, she looked at his hand as it moved around the chessboard. 

_He has great hands, she thought._

_Wait. What?_

She sat up straight. _Harry has great hands?_ She looked back down and sighed inwardly. Yeah, he does. Long, nimble fingers and strong hands. Her eyes moved up and noted his broad shoulders. _When did he develop those? All of that Quidditch practice, of course._ Her head tilted to the side as she continued to look at him with new eyes. His hair, as untidy and unruly as her own was dark as night but shown in the firelight. She saw through his glasses to his eyes - that brilliant green color that made his face so striking. She looked at his lips. They were parted slightly. Hermione felt a warmth flood through her body and she shifted in her seat.

Harry moved his knight to capture her knight and threaten her Queen. Hermione, distracted by her thoughts about Harry, missed this and moved her rook instead. Harry instructed his knight to take her Queen - but just then, something odd happened.

They both watched as Harry's knight approached Hermione's Queen on the board. Instead of knocking her over however, he opened his arms, drew her in and kissed her. Both Harry and Hermione stared in amazement. The Queen, flustered from the kiss, walked to the edge of the board and took her place with the rest of the captured pieces.

Harry and Hermione both raised their eyes at the same time. A long heavy silence lingered between them as they looked at one another. Suddenly their lips were mere inches apart - they had both leaned forward .... 

And then they were kissing. 

At first they just pressed their lips together. But Hermione parted her lips and Harry did the same, deepening the kiss. Harry kissed her softly, tasting her. Hermione leaned into the kisses, the warmth running through her body again. When they parted, Harry rested his forehead on hers, his eyes closed, breathing deeply. They slowly sat back and continued to stare at one another. Hermione smiled shyly and he smiled back.

"Wow" he said quietly. "Why do you think we did that?" 

She shook her head and shrugged lightly.

"You want to ... uh ... you know ... do it ... again?" he asked.  
She smiled and nodded. Harry leaned across the table and was met by her warm welcoming lips. With their eyes closed, they kissed again and Hermione was sure her heart had stopped beating for a second or two. She'd never felt anything like this before! She wanted to kiss him all night long ...

The clock on the mantle chimed softly bringing them back to reality.

"Um. It's getting late. Maybe we should get some sleep." Hermione said quietly. 

Harry nodded. As he gathered up the chess pieces, Hermione went into the bathroom and changed into her nightgown. When she came out a few minutes later, Harry tried hard not to stare. She was wearing the same floor length nightgown she'd always worn but somehow, now she looked different. She walked past the fireplace and Harry saw the outline of her body through the material. He swallowed hard and looked away.

Harry's best friend, Hermione, had grown into a beautiful young woman in front of his very eyes. Harry watched her climb into his bed and pull the covers up. He quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door. The sight of Hermione in his bed suddenly meant something entirely different than it did yesterday.

He changed into his pajamas and threw his robe on afterward. After a few deep breaths and a splash of cold water, he finally came out of the bathroom. He outed the lit candles and sat on the couch. Hermione was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Harry pulled the blanket over him as he curled up on the couch in front of the still burning fire. 

For a long time he stared at the flickering flames until he started to drift off to sleep. He woke suddenly when he heard a loud crash of thunder. Hermione had woken too because she was sitting up in bed. Harry wanted to say that there was nothing wrong, go back to bed but nothing came out of his mouth. Instead, he saw himself pull his blanket back, a silent invitation. 

_What was he doing? he thought. _

To his surprise, Hermione got out of bed and walked over to the couch. She lay down beside him, her back to his chest and tucked her feet in under the blankets. Harry pulled the blanket around her and laid his arm around her waist. As her head rested on his pillow he couldn't resist smelling her hair. Peaches. She wriggled a little closer to him, sighed and closed her eyes. Harry closed his eyes and wondered how he was ever going to sleep with her laying against him.

Hermione opened her eyes to see the morning sun shining through the windows. Last night came rushing back to her. She felt something warm against her back. Harry chest rose and fell against her and a smile crept across her face. She looked down and saw his arm still around her, his leg across hers. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize these sensations before they passed.

Harry slowly awoke, stretching his legs and free arm. It was in mid-stretch that his mind registered Hermione's body against his. He watched as she turned onto her back and looked at him. He'd been worried until he saw her face. She was smiling happily at him. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his. Her warm breath mingled with his in a lazy morning kiss. 

"Good morning" she whispered.

"Morning" he said, brushing some hair away from her eyes. She closed her eyes as his fingers brushed her skin and couldn't help her beaming smile. She reached up her hand and touched his face, her thumb tracing his lower lip. They kissed again, more urgently. Instinctively she rolled toward him so that they were face-to-face and he pulled her close. With each kiss they tried to hold one another tighter - closer, as though they couldn't get close enough. When Harry's hand slid to her hip, he heard something that stopped him cold. 

A knock on the door.

Like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them, Harry and Hermione jumped up from the couch and stepped away from each other guiltily.

Another knock.

"Harry? Are you up yet?"  
Lhara Mahr. Harry cleared his throat and pulled on his robe as he answered her.

"One second!"

Hermione hurried into the bathroom and Harry opened the front door. Lhara was holding a basket of muffins and some fresh orange juice.

"Good morning Harry! Are your friends up? I brought you some breakfast."   
She moved past him and put her goodies on the kitchen table. She was bright and cheery dressed in a sunshine yellow dress.

"Uh, Ron had to go home yesterday. Family obligation."

"Oh that's a shame. What about Hermione?"

"She's still here. She's leaving today." 

Lhara nodded with a smile and looked around the cottage. She frowned suddenly.

"She's in the bathroom," Harry offered.

"You two were alone last night?" She looked at the unmade bed and the blankets on the couch.  
Harry blushed as red as Ron's hair and looked at the couch.

"Yes, but we didn't-"

"Harry, did you .... light any candles?"  
Harry frowned in confusion.

"Last night? Yeah, a couple." He waved his hand at the candles on the mantle. Just then Hermione opened the bathroom door and came out fully dressed in her normal clothes.

"Good morning, Miss Mahr." She said cheerfully.

"Lhara, please." She said absently. "Children, I have something to tell you." She walked over the mantle and picked up one of the candles. She turned around and grimaced. "This ... this is a Feelings candle."

Hermione put a hand to her mouth in shock, but Harry didn't understand.  
"A what?"

"I'm so embarrassed. I thought I'd gotten rid of this before you moved in! It's a Feelings candle. When you light it, it ... uh.... reveals your feelings for the other person."

Harry shook his head and looked at Hermione. She was blushing from head-to-toe.

"But we lit it when Ron was here. Nothing happened then."

"It only works when just two people are in the room. I'm sorry Harry, Hermione. I'll get rid of it."  
She took the candle and quietly left cottage, closing the door behind her. "Sorry."

"So, what happened last night ... was just a SPELL?" he growled. Hermione shook her head. 

"No, it doesn't _create_ feelings, it only reveals what was already there." Her voice trailed off in embarrassment. 

"Really?"  
A wave of relief and something else rushed through Harry. The idea that he'd felt something so ... powerful because of a spell angered him, but if it was only exposing what they both already felt ... well that was a different matter!

"And the candle wasn't burning the whole night ..." Harry remembered putting out that candle before going to sleep on the couch. Hermione had come to him later.

She looked at him and blushed again.  
"No. It wasn't." They crossed the room towards each other.

"So ... we've felt this way about each other all along?"

Hermione nodded. She bit her lip suddenly.  
"Harry. Will this ... will this ... You're my very best friend." She whispered. "I don't -"  
Harry shook his head.

"No. It won't ruin anything. We won't let it."  
Hermione was smart, brave, beautiful and loyal. If they could be romantically involved and still remain friends, he'd have the best of both worlds.

Hermione looked up at Harry and felt hopeful. Harry would never hurt her. He'd proven that more times than she wanted to count. Harry was brave, handsome, generous and a great wizard. Could there be anyone out there better than Harry? Of course not!

"We'll always be friends _first._" She said.  
Harry smiled and nodded.

"Always friends first."  
They hugged tightly as though trying to seal their words between them.

* * *

It was the last hour of Hermione's visit. After Harry dressed and they ate some of Lhara's breakfast, they dragged Hermione's bag along with them as they walked down Diagon Alley. At some point, Harry grabbed Hermione's hand to pull her over and show her something in a shop window. But afterward, he didn't let go of her hand. And Hermione didn't mind. Not one bit.

Before they knew it, it was time for Hermione to catch her train. At the platform, Harry and Hermione held hands and said their good-byes.

"Three weeks." He said with a smile. "The time will fly by, you'll see. Then it will be just like old times." He touched her cheek and marveled to himself how smooth and warm her skin was.

"Well, not exactly like old times" she said with a grin.

Harry chuckled.  
"You're right."

He leaned his head down and kissed her. She threw her arms around him and returned the kiss. Harry hugged her close.

"See you soon." He whispered. Hermione nodded. She stepped onto the train as it gave its final boarding whistle.

"Bye, Harry." She waved happily.

He watched the train pull out of the station and down the tracks. When he could no longer see the train, he went back home. On his desk was a picture of Hermione, smiling. 

He hadn't expected these feelings - especially for one of his best friends - but he'd decided he wouldn't fight them. It was such an easy feeling between them. Like it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be together. Why turn away happiness when it comes to you? He looked at the calendar marking the start of next term. 

Suddenly three weeks seemed like a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3Fluffiness

Chapter 3

Harry was a little sad when it came time to leave his new home. Lhara assured him the cottage would still be waiting for him when he finished this upcoming term. She'd become a good friend to Harry over the past few weeks. They talked for hours about everything and nothing. He even confessed his feelings for Hermione.

"I know what you mean. I had feelings for a friend at school too. Only, I never told him." She looked down at her tea. "I never told him. And now I can't."

"I'm sorry. Is he … dead?"

She shook her head. "But he might as well be."

"What happened?" 

She smiled sadly. "He was a year older than me. Great Quidditch player. Popular, smart, funny. A friend of your father, too. But he … he did something … horrible. Unforgivable."

Harry got a sudden prickly feeling on his neck.

"What was his name?"

"Promise you won't tell? Sirius Black."

Harry nearly jumped out of his chair. 

"Sirius! He's my godfather!"

"Oh" she looked concerned. "You know about that?"

"Yeah, I know. So - So you care for Sirius Black?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I can't believe the things they said about him. It just … it just doesn't seem possible."

"That's because it's not! Sirius was framed by Peter! He didn't betray my parents!"

Harry poured out the story of poor Sirius to Lhara. She listened carefully, not interrupting and wiped away a tear at the end.  "Oh Sirius. I should have never doubted you."

"And I don't know where he is. But Hedwig is able to find him if I want … or, if YOU want …."

Lhara looked at Harry sideways.

"Are you becoming a matchmaker, Harry?"

"I just think he'd like to know there are other people that believe in him. Don't you?"

Lhara nodded.

So on Harry's last day in the cottage, Lhara tied a note to Hedwig's leg and set her loose. Lhara escorted Harry to the King's Cross Station and met Mrs. Weasley and the Weasley horde. While Lhara and Mrs. Weasley talked, Harry and Ron greeted each other.

"Hey! What's going on?"

Ron's new pet owl was locked in its tiny cage, squawking nosily as the people rushed around them. Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys waved hello.

"Percy finally left for his internship at the Ministry of Magic. His girlfriend Penelope is driving us crazy with her wedding plans. Ugh. At least we won't have to put up with his 'I was Head Boy' preening this year, eh?"

"Yeah." Harry looked over Ron's shoulder (which was at least an inch higher than the last time he'd seen him) and saw Hermione arrive with her overloaded cart. She waved to them. 

"How was your vacation, Hermione? Read much?" Ron teased.

"I didn't get all of the books read on our list. I couldn't find _Mysteries of Mummies and Ghouls. And then I had to get a new set of robes. And-"_

Ron shook his head as she went on earnestly.

"Same old Hermione." Ron muttered, rolling his eyes.

Harry smiled and nodded. Yes. She was the same Hermione. They had sent a couple of owls during these past few weeks. Harry had increasingly looked forward to each one. He wondered how they'd tell Ron about their 'change in status'. Hermione apparently had the same concern. She met his eyes eagerly, but didn't hold his hand or anything like that.

The conductor announced the train was leaving and suddenly everyone was saying good-bye all over again. Mrs. Weasley and Lhara waved happily as the train pulled away.

It was only after they'd found an empty compartment on the train that Ron suddenly noticed something.

"Hey, where's Hedwig?"

"She's delivering a letter to … You-Know-Who." 

Ron opened his eyes in shock. 

"What!?"

"No, not that You-Know-Who. The other You-Know-Who." 

"Ooohh." Ron said with a nod. "You let him know you're starting school?"

"Um. Not exactly."

Harry then told the story of Lhara and Sirius and her unrequited feelings.

"How romantic!" Hermione said.

Ron shrugged and opened a Chocolate Frog. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and decided that now was the best time to tell Ron.

"Something else happened, Ron."

"Yeah, what?" Ron looked up from his card – Dumbledore again – to see Hermione and Harry holding hands.

"You're kidding! Well, it's _about time." He opened another Chocolate Frog._

Hermione and Harry looked at one another, a bit confused by Ron's reaction.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well its obvious isn't it? I mean _everyone else knows. We were just wondering when you two would figure it out. Mind you, I thought you two'd have figured it out before now. We even have a pool going. Dang, I think George is going to win! He had 'start of Year Six'."_

Harry and Hermione started laughing and Ron joined them. Hermione leaned her head against Harry's shoulder and the rest of the train trip went by in a blur.

As much as Harry enjoyed living in the cottage, he liked it more at Hogwarts. He couldn't wait to get back to the Gryffindor dormitory and see all of the students and teachers again – except for Snape, of course. The feast welcoming the students back was a favorite tradition. Dumbledore, still full of energy and enthusiasm, gave his speech after the Sorting ceremony when the new First Years joined their respective houses. Hermione, Ron and Harry ate until they were full then trudged up the ever-changing stairs to the Gryffindor dormitory. The Fat Lady portrait greeted as usual. Hogwarts was Harry's real home.

The Gryffindor Common room was a large gathering room with a huge fireplace and an equally large couch facing it. Several tables and chairs for studying filled the rest of the room but everyone knew the best place was on the big couch. 

Ron was excitedly talking to the rest of the house Quidditch team. He'd been practicing all summer on an old broom, playing with his brothers whenever he could. Ron would be starting as a Chaser. George and Fred were still the best Beaters but this would be their last year. 

As the night wore on, everyone started drifting up the stairs to the separate boys and girls dorms. Eventually it was just the threesome left. Ron yawned loudly and got up.

"Alright. See you two in the morning."

At the stairs, however, he turned around and made loud kissing noises.

"RON!" Hermione and Harry both yelled. Ron laughed and ran up the stairs, noisily kissing the back of his hand.

When they were sure they were alone, Hermione slid over to Harry's side of the couch and into his waiting embrace. He kissed her softly then she laid her head against his chest, his arms encircling her. He rubbed his cheek again the top of her head as they sat watching the fire.

"This is going to be a good year, isn't it Harry?"

"Yeah. I think so."


	4. Chapter 4More fluffiness

(Ah ha! Did you think the story was over? Nay! It has just begun!)

Chapter 4

Lhara tried to concentrate on the plant in front of her but her gaze kept drifting to the window. 

_Where was Harry's owl, Hedwig? Did she make it back to Sirius? Would Sirius remember her? Would he write back?_

The plant, a young Bulbium Vitia, got tired of waiting for Lhara and used its leaves to pinch her hand.

"Ouch! You naughty boy!" she gently scolded. She pruned away the dying leaves, gave it a healthy dose of water and put it back in the greenhouse. As she washed the dirt from her hands, Hedwig appeared on her windowsill. She gasped and grabbed the letter clutched in Hedwig's talons.

"Oh bless you! You beautiful bird!"

She gave her a nice fat field mouse and sat down to read her letter.

"_Dear Lhara,_

_You can't imagine how surprised I was to receive your letter! Of course I remember you from Hogwarts! And I'm so glad you're keeping an eye on young Harry. He seems to have a knack for finding trouble – not unlike his father. _

_I recall you were an expert in Herbology. Has that served you well over the years? I also remember you were the cutest Chaser that Ravenclaw ever had. Kind, sweet Lhara._

_The fact that you believe in my innocence gives me hope. Some day I will find Peter and make him confess. I swear it. Until then, I must continue to elude those looking for me._

_Yours in hope, _

_Sirius"_

Lhara sighed softly and folded the letter. Hedwig had finished her mouse and squawked politely.

"Thank you, Hedwig. Of course you can go back to Harry." She wrote a quick thank you note and watched Hedwig return to Harry with it.

Harry was eating lunch when Lhara's note dropped on his plate.

"You-Know-Who is ok. He answered Lhara's letter." Harry told them, reading quickly.

"I'm glad." Hermione said happily. "At least he has someone else besides us on his side."

The threesome examined their new class schedules. For the first time, each had a class the others weren't in. Ron chose _Advanced Broomage hoping to improve his riding skills for Quidditch. Hermione had __Women's Studies and Harry had __Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. He noted happily that Dumbledore himself was his instructor for that class.  They still had their other classes together including __Curses and Hexes as well as __Defending Against Curses and Hexes._

Ron and Harry spent all of their free time on the Quidditch field practicing. Alicia was the Captain and Charlie Traig was the new Keeper. The other two Chasers (Alicia and Katie) as well as the Beaters (Fred and George) were all now Seventh Year students. The team needed younger players if their winning tradition was going to continue after graduation. 

Meanwhile, Hermione was busy studying, as usual. She had always been driven by a deep-seated desire to know things. Books were like candy to her – delicious treats to be savored and then devoured. She enjoyed sharing her knowledge with people and never understood when other people didn't share her thirst for information. It never occurred to her that people didn't appreciate her studying efforts.

She might have continued in that way – studying first, last and all – were it not for her friendships with Ron and Harry. They showed her that there was more to school and life than always knowing the right answer to question and getting top marks. Conversely, she showed them that there _was something to be gained from reading and studying – that knowing what you were up against would always give you an advantage. Over the years and adventures, their friendships had solidified into a true symbiosis. Each one depended on the other for something and they all benefited._

Perhaps this is what gave Hermione reservations about a romance with Harry. If it didn't work out, how could she bear it? The day she couldn't talk and laugh with Harry would be a very dark day – one she didn't like thinking about. She and Harry would have to be careful that they didn't destroy their friendship.

It was late in the evening when Ron and Harry came into the Gryffindor common room. They were clearly exhausted, dirty and sweaty.

"Oh man!" Ron sighed as he fell into a soft chair. "That feels good." He closed his eyes and smiled.

Harry dropped their Quidditch equipment in a corner and took off his muddy sweater before sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Hermione. She smiled and looked up from her studying.

"How was practice?"

"Really good. Ron's gonna do great."

"If I can still feel anything tomorrow! My arms are killing me!" he said mournfully.

"You can use some of my 'Pain-Bee-Gone' if you want. It's up on my dresser." Harry offered.

Ron slowly rose from the chair. 

"I think I will. 'Night." He waved feebly. He slowly climbed the stairs making small groaning noises as he climbed each step. "I'm never gonna sit right again." He muttered.

Hermione and Harry chuckled watching Ron disappear up the stairs.

"Poor guy. He's trying really hard." Harry shook his head with a smile.

"And what about you? Did you get your scroll finished for McGonagall? It's due tomorrow!"

Harry grimaced.

"Er. Not exactly. I'm almost done though. I'll get up early and finish it before breakfast." Hermione frowned. "I swear!" he said, holding up his right hand.

Harry smiled in his disarming way and Hermione relaxed a little.

"Alright. But don't forget!"

"How can I forget when I have you to remind me?"

His voice lowered a little as he spoke and Hermione became acutely aware that they were once again the only ones in the room. He titled his head slightly and crooked a finger at her.

"Come here," he said softly. 

A delicious chill ran through Hermione. She smiled but shook her head.

"_You come here." She patted the cushion next to her._

Harry shook his head too.

Harry laughed softly and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wand and said, "_Traho Ere." Hermione felt her body begin to slide toward his. He was using the spell "__Come to Me."_

She picked up her own wand and said, "_Reditus." She returned to her side of the couch._

Harry repeated his spell with a grin. "_Traho Ere." _

"_Reditus" Hermione repeated. Once again she was back on her end of the couch. Every time Harry tried to draw her over, Hermione returned._

Harry narrowed his eyes. "_TRAHO ERE!"_

Hermione started sliding toward him again.

"_TRAHO ERE!" she said._

Suddenly Harry was moving toward _her! They were sliding towards each other!_

When they met in the middle of the couch, they were both laughing.

"Who won?" she asked, as they put down their wands.

Harry pulled her into his arms. 

Just before he kissed her, he said, "We both did."

Thanks to all of my reviewers! The story will continue!

I apologize for the extra spaces. I can't figure out what's wrong yet.

Forgive me for dragging them back to the common room again, but I find the room so … romantic. A huge fireplace, an overstuffed couch, deep rich tapestries and dark wood furniture. It seems like the most romantic place two students could go.


	5. Chapter 5Trouble ahead

Note: I wrote this before reading _Goblet of Fire_.

* * *

Chapter 5

The Quidditch season was winding down and soon there was only one more game left - Slytherin against Gryffindor. Slytherin was out of the running for the Quidditch Cup but no one expected an easy game. Slytherin House would delight in humiliating Gryffindor on any occasion and if one of the Gryffindor players happened to get hurt -well!- that would be a bonus for them!

The Gryffindor team was scheduled to practice this morning and Harry was anxious to go! He was dressed in his practice uniform and walking to the field when he was stopped by Filch's cat growling at him. Eerily, Filch appeared from a darkened door frame and sneered at Harry.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you. _Now_."  
Obviously he thought Harry was in trouble to be grinning like that.

Harry thought hard about any rules he might have broken recently as he ran to Dumbledore's tower. He couldn't think of anything! Had someone caught he and Hermione in one of the classrooms? As he waited in the outer chamber with the Sorting Hat for company, he paced back and forth. Finally, the inner doors opened and Harry hurried in.

"You sent for me, Professor?"

"Ah, Harry. Come in." Dumbledore was putting the Phoenix back into its cage and waved casually for Harry to sit in the large chair in front of his desk. The doors closed silently behind him and Harry waited for the Professor to speak.

"I have some ... disturbing news. About Peter Pettigrew."

Harry sat upright. Peter Pettigrew! He was the man who betrayed his parents and his godfather, Sirius!

"Do you know where he is?"

"No. Unfortunately. But he has found an ally. Someone who's anxious to help Voldemort return to power."

"Who!?"

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry to say, the parents of one of Hogwarts' own students."

"Malfoy!" Harry said, jumping up. "It has to be Malfoy!"

Dumbledore put a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
"I cannot be sure of that yet, Harry. But I am sure of one thing and it is not good."

Harry sat and listened.  
"Peter believes that his master can return to power if he can get rid of you. With his new ally he intends to do just that."

"They're going to come after me? Again?"  
Harry stood to his full six-foot two-inch height as though daring them to try.

"You and ... Hermione."

"What?" Harry shoulders slumped.

"My spy has told me they will be using a Golem. It is a very ... simple-minded creature. It has room for only one set of instructions. I've been told that the instruction is to kidnap your girlfriend and bring her to a ... well, a trap for you. They want to give Voldemort the 'pleasure' of getting rid of you himself."

Harry looked at Dumbledore in panic and confusion.  
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Harry. Of course we will be looking out for you while you're here at Hogwarts. I'd like to ask you to please not stray from the school grounds. You and Hermione."

"Are you sure? About Hermione?"

"My source is very reliable. The Golem is single-minded and determined. He will not stop until he has fulfilled his mission."

"What about Hermione? How can I- What can I-?"

Dumbledore put a hand on Harry's shoulder again.  
"Try to act as normally as you can. If we can capture the Golem, we can extract proof of who sent it. This will go a long way to proving Sirius Black's innocence. I know you are worried about Miss Grainger's safety but the entire staff of Hogwarts will be looking out for both of you. Now, I believe you were on your way to Quidditch practice?"

He guided Harry to the door. But Harry was busy worrying.  
_How can I go to practice now? How can I protect Hermione?_

* * *

Later that night, Harry was staring out of one of the windows in the library overlooking the courtyard. He scanned the darkness, hoping for some sign of the Golem and fearing it at the same time. 

Just then, he felt a pair of arms slide around his waist.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere." Hermione rested her cheek on his back and hugged him close.

Harry placed his hand over hers (resting on his chest) and rubbed them gently.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

Harry froze. _Should he tell Hermione about the Golem?_ She'd be the first one to want to research it and find its weaknesses. With her help, they might find a way to defeat it. Together they'd always been able to face danger before. 

But things were different now. His chest tightened thinking about Hermione being hurt - all because of him. What if something happened to her? He'd never be able to forgive himself.

He picked up one of her hands and kissed it tenderly. "Nothing."

He turned to face her, her arms still encircling him. He leaned forward and kissed her.  
"Have I told you today that you're the smartest and most beautiful girl I've ever known?"

Hermione smiled and pretended to think intently.  
"No, I don't believe you have."

"Well then. Hermione, you're the smartest and most beautiful girl I've ever known." He said solemnly.

He hugged her close and then kissed her soundly. When his mouth moved down her cheek to her neck, she made a small noise of contentment.

"Mmm. Harry. As much as I love this, you have to get your rest. Tomorrow's the last game, remember?" Harry nodded reluctantly and they (eventually) went to their separate dorms.

In his bed, Harry lay awake, tortured with thoughts of the Golem.  
Tomorrow the stands would be packed with people - and worse.  
_How could he keep her safe?_


	6. Chapter 6The Mistake

Chapter 6

  


Harry woke early, donned his Invisibility Cloak and hurried to the library. There he pulled out _1001 Magical Creatures_ and started reading about the Golem. 

The Golem is formed from earth and molded into the shape of a man. A piece of paper containing a spell to bring it to life is pushed into the head. It has incredible strength as long as it touches the ground. Its one weakness might be its poor eyesight. 

_How could he make it not recognize his girlfriend?_

Harry felt ill looking at the picture of a Golem. An image of Hermione struggling in its grasp flashed in front of his eyes. _No! No matter what Hermione will be safe!_

He rushed back to his room before everyone woke up and practiced all of the hexes and charms he knew. He'd never felt so nervous and worried.

The morning of the big match between Slytherin and Gryffindor finally arrived. Ron could not wait to beat Draco and the rest of their goons! Humiliating Draco would be the highlight of his first season! He talked with the other Chasers about some of their strategies for the game.

People started filling into the stadium and Harry became even more anxious. Herminone and Hagrid waved from their steats high in stands. Ron looked at his brothers, already trash-talking with the Slytherins, and grinned.

"It's gonna be a great game, eh Harry", Ron said, slapping his shoulder. Harry nodded and nervously scanned the crowds. 

With its usual rituals, the Quidditch game began. Harry hung back away from the action, feverishly scanning the fields. Hopefully, everyone would think he was looking for the Snitch.

_Would the Golem try to strike today? In the open? With all of these people around?_

He was so nervous and distracted that he could barely keep his mind on the game. Before he knew it Slytherin had scored three times while Gryffindor had scored only twice. But luck was on their side. While Harry was watching the entrance to the arena he noticed the Snitch whiz by. He quickly took off on his broom and followed its zigzag path. Draco, of course, had seen Harry move and tried to cut him off. Harry's faster broom allowed him to accelerate away from Draco. 

With his eyes on the Snitch and nothing else, he failed to see the two Beaters, Crabbe and Goyle, come up on either side of him. They both nudged him, tried to pinch him in and tried to make him crash. Were it not for Harry's superior flying skills, they would have succeeded. But he quickly dove his broom the next time Crabbe and Goyle were going to ram him so that they rammed each other instead. With a clear field now, Harry could see the Snitch in front of him. He heard a noise behind him - the crowd was cheering - Ron had scored! And just then, with a quick turn on his broom, he closed his hand around the Snitch and the game was over.

A huge roar came from the crowd as the Gryffindor supporters cheered the win. The smaller Slytherin contingent was expressing their distaste for the refereeing, the weather and pretty much anything else they could think of. Privately and now publicly, they were growing tired of Draco never getting the Snitch.

Harry caught the eye of Dumbledore. The Professor shook his head sadly. Harry sighed to himself. Dumbledore hadn't seen the Golem which means it's still out there. Still waiting to strike. But when? And where?

The Gryffindor team landed, and came over to celebrate and congratulate Harry. He accepted their praise and managed to shoot a smug look to Draco. Just then, his eye caught something moving in the trees to the south. _What was that? Was that my imagination?_

Hermione made her way through the crowd and hugged Harry close. Harry looked around distractedly.   
_Where did it go?_

"Oh, that was fantastic! You were great!" She raised her head to kiss him, but he quickly pushed away from her.

"Stop it, Hermione," he hissed.

Hermione looked like someone had slapped her.  
"What? What's wrong, Harry?" she touched the sleeve of his sweater.   
He slapped her hand away and continued to scan the trees.

"_Harry Potter!_ What's gotten into you?" she said angrily.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron said, frowning.   
He'd been celebrating nearby and noticed the distressed look on Hermione's face.

"All I did was congratulate him." She said, clearly confused.

Ron grabbed Harry's arm and turned him around to face them. "What's the problem, Harry?"

"SHE'S my problem!" Harry waved angrily at Hermione. "Always clinging on to me. Hanging on me."  
He looked her straight in the eye. "Just leave me alone!"

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Her stomach rolled over and she felt sick. _This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real! Harry cared for her. He wouldn't treat her like this._

Ron grabbed Harry's sweater and growled.  
"Watch what you say to her! You can't talk to her like that. You love her, you ass!"

Harry pushed Ron away. They had attracted a crowd that was gathering around them. Draco was watching with fascination and unsuppressed glee.

"I don't love her." He told Ron.  
He looked at Hermione. "I don't love you!"

Harry stalked off the field amid hoots and jeers from the Slytherins, leaving Ron to comfort a heart-broken Hermione.


	7. Chapter 7Fallout

A huge 'thank you' to everyone who has reviewed this story. I really appreciate it!

* * *

Chapter 7

Hermione was shaking with rage and disbelief.   
She couldn't believe Harry would do something like this to her! 

_Why? What had happened?  
Yesterday we were in love, today ... ?_

Ginny walked Hermione back to her dorm room. They did not see Harry but they heard plenty of whispering and even some laughing from the other students. Hermione's face burned bright red but she managed not to cry as she passed through the halls.

"-finally dumped that cow."

"-knew it wouldn't last."

"-never knew what he SAW in her."

"Hey mudblood! Finally saw what you're really worth, did he?"

Hermione managed to get into her room without breaking down.  
Ginny offered to stay but Hermione shook her head. She wanted to be alone. 

But alone in her room, all she was reminded of was Harry and what he'd said. A terrible ache was building in her chest until she thought her heart itself was breaking.

She sat on her bed and picked up the picture frame next to her bed. It was a picture of her and Harry but where before Harry had been smiling at her, now he was trying to find a way out of the frame.

"Damn you!" she yelled and threw the frame on the floor. It shattered on the stone floor with a loud crash. A huge sob shook her shoulders. She hugged her pillow and cried, cursing Harry and indeed, all men. She'd believed all the pretty words Harry'd said to her - now she knew them to be lies. All lies.

Despite repeated knocks on her door, she didn't come out for dinner. She sat on the floor surrounded by all of the little knick-knacks she'd accumulated since she and Harry had become a couple. The notes and flowers he'd sent her, even the seating chart for their Charms class that said _"Harry Potter and Hermione Grainer."_

_Talk to him. Go talk to him._ Her inner voice urged. _It has to be a mistake._

When is was dark, too late for most people to be up, she quietly left her room and snuck down to Harry's room.

"- say that to Hermione!"

Hermione froze, her hand hovering above the door handle. That was Ron's voice. And he was yelling at Harry.

"It's none of your business, Ron."

"How can you say that? We're friends. All of us! You, me and Hermione."

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell you say! My best friend treats my other friend like dirt in public and it's not my concern? Don't you love her anymore?"

Hermione held her breath during what seemed like the longest wait of her life.  
_Please! Please! Say you love me._ she thought to herself.

"No."

Hermione backed away from the door, a hand over her mouth. Tears quickly stung her eyes and she tried to blink them away. She turned and ran up the stairs, back to her room. She slammed the door, threw herself on her bed and cried even harder than before. She eventually curled into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

Sometime during the night, she woke up. Moonlight shown through her windows but she still lit a table lamp. A fresh wave of sadness swept over her. As the horrible day ran through her head again, she thought she'd never be happy again. As she lay there, feeling hurt and angry, she noticed her _Women's Studies_ book on her nightstand. She opened it and flipped through the pages until she came to the section she wanted. _"Depello Cordis" _

A chill ran up her spine as she read what the spell would do. _Did she really want to do this? This is pretty drastic._ Yes, but anything had to be better than the pain and humiliation she was feeling right now, she reasoned. 

Hermione studied the potion-spell carefully. She had nearly all of the items she'd need except one. She needed some of her own blood to seal the spell.   
_Sleep on it. If you still feel the same in the morning, do it then._

_Fine._ Tomorrow she'd work the spell. And once she finished it, she'd be free of all romantic entanglements forever. She would no longer be susceptible to Harry's charms or sweet words. She'd never be hurt again.

With the book resting on her chest, she fell back to sleep. She did not dream.

* * *

(earlier that same evening)

"What the hell is wrong with you?!?" Ron yelled. "Why did you do that to Hermione? Are you crazy?"

Ron was yelling at Harry in the hallway, his voice bouncing off the walls. He'd been waiting for Harry to return to the dorm. Harry did not answer. He entered the Gryffindor dormitory and headed straight to his room. But as soon as they were in their room, Ron turned on Harry again, furious. 

"I can't believe you, Harry! I can't believe you'd say that to Hermione!"

Harry frowned.  
"It's none of your business, Ron."

"How can you say that? We're friends. All of us! You, me and Hermione."

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell you say! My best friend treats my other friend like dirt in public and it's not my concern? Don't you love her anymore?"

Harry looked at the floor, unable to meet Ron's angry gaze.

"No."

But Ron was having none of it.  
"I don't believe you." He said quietly.

Harry raised his head.  
"It's true."

"I know you. I know both of you. You love her and she loves you!"  
Harry hung his head and raised a hand to stop Ron.

"You don't understand." He sounded defeated, exhausted.

"You're damn right I don't understand! You just crushed Hermione!"

"I had to. I didn't have a choice."

"Explain yourself! What are you talking about?" Ron was enraged, pacing back and forth.

"I - Dumbledore found out ... Peter Pettigrew found someone to help him. He's gaining power. He thinks if he kills me then Voldemort can come back. Dumbledore's spy told him Pettigrew has released a golem - designed to kidnap ... my girlfriend." It all came out in a rush. Harry sat down, emotionally drained.

"Kidnap?" Ron repeated, confused.

"Kidnap her and force me to come after her. Into a trap."

"Ohhhh. So you thought ... you thought you'd save Hermione by breaking up with her?"

Harry nodded sadly.

"By dumping her in public?! By humiliating her and breaking her heart?!" he yelled.

Harry looked shocked.  
"I thought you'd understand. I was trying to protect her."

"You could have told her! You could have told me! Together we could have come up with a plan - _like before!_ But no, you idiot! Now she HATES you!"

Ron pushed Harry aside and slammed the door behind him. He ran up the girls' stairs and pounded on Hermione's door.

"Hermione! It's me, Ron. Open up!"

"Shhh! She doesn't want to talk to you. Or Harry." Ginny said, behind him.

"Can you open the door, Ginny? I have to talk to her. Explain."  
Ginny shook her head. 

"How could he have _done_ that?" Ginny said scowling.

Ron pounded on the door again.

"Hermione, please! It was all a mistake. A misunderstanding!"

No response.

Ron returned to the dorm room he shared with Harry.

"She won't open the door. She's locked it with a spell. I couldn't talk to her."

"Let her calm down tonight. I'll - I'll explain in the morning." Harry said.

* * *

In the morning, however, Hermione did not come to breakfast. Nor did she come to any of their classes. When she didn't show up for dinner, Ron and Harry went to Professor McGonagall. They explained what happened and their concern for Hermione.

"Men!" McGonagall muttered under her breath as she took her wand and went to the girls' dormitory. With Ron and Harry standing behind her, she opened Hermione's door. The door slowly opened to reveal Hermione lying on her bed.

"Hermione, dear?" McGonagall touched Hermione's shoulder. She gently shook her but she didn't open her eyes. "Hermione!" 

"Go and get Madam Pomfrey RIGHT NOW!" Ron raced out of the room.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Harry yelled.

"Hermione! Wake up! Wake up!" McGonagall shook Hermione but couldn't rouse her. She was cold to the touch and breathing in very quick shallow breaths. Professor McGonagall noticed the ingredients lying about and picked up the spell book next to Hermione.

"Oh no." she whispered as she read the page. "Child, you didn't!"

"What's this?" Harry asked, picking up a jar about the size of his fist. It was lying next to Hermione on her bed. It was very warm and seemed to be almost ... thudding.

"Be careful with that!"

"What is it?"

"It's - that's her heart."

"What?" Harry looked down at the jar cradled in his hands. 

"Her heart. She's ... removed it."


	8. Chapter 8Consequences

Chapter 8

  


_"Hermione removed her heart?!"_

The story ran through Hogwarts like wildfire. Everyone was shocked not only that she'd done it and that she knew how to do it but more importantly - Harry was the cause. 

The famous couple - the best student and the great Harry Potter - had been the stuff of legends. They seemed made for each other. Now, Harry had publicly shunned and humiliated her. It struck some as most unlike Harry. Of course Draco and his cronies couldn't have been happier. Nothing could have made Malfoy happier than to see Harry wallow in shame. To have the whole school hate Harry was a dream come true. 

Hermione was resting in the hospital wing under the close attention of Madam Pomfrey and Harry was glued to her bedside, refusing to leave. He held her hand and waited for her to wake up. But when she finally woke up and saw him, she didn't smile. 

"Hermione! Hermione! Are you alright?" Harry said urgently. 

"Perfectly fine, thank you."   
She pulled her hand from his grasp and pushed herself into a sitting position. 

"How long have I been here?" she asked. 

"Uh, all night. We found you in your room last night and brought you here. You wouldn't wake up." 

Harry swallowed hard and grabbed her hand again.   


"Hermione, I'm SO sorry! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. I-I wasn't thinking! I thought I could _protect_ you if you weren't next to me. I-I didn't realize- Oh, Hermione. I'm sorry." 

Hermione looked at him as though she was digesting his words carefully.   
"You had a reason for doing what you did?" 

Harry told her the story of Peter and the Golem. When he finished, she seemed to think for a second.   
"A golem? Hmm. Interesting choice. Very strong but very dim. You were concerned about my safety?" 

"Yes! Yes! Hermione, I would never had said- I can't- I do-"  
Harry struggled to find the words. Hermione sat in silence. 

"You didn't believe in me." She said finally. 

"What?" 

"You didn't believe in me. You didn't believe I could protect myself." 

"No. No. I know you can protect yourself. But this is Voldemort! Everyone I've ever loved has been hurt by him! I couldn't risk you too!" 

Hermione looked away.   
"I think you should go now." 

Harry stared at Hermione, stunned.   
"But I-"

"Please." 

Harry slowly got up and quietly left the room. 

  


When Madam Pomfrey released Hermione later, Professor McGonagall called her in to discuss the spell she'd performed. 

"Why did you do it, child? Why?" 

Hermione sat across from the Professor calmly.   
"I'm here to study, Professor. I'm not here to be distracted by frivolous ...feelings." 

"But there's no way to reverse it! Did you know that?" 

Hermione shrugged.   
"Romantic feelings do not have any consideration in my long term plans, Professor. I fail to see what the fuss is about. I merely removed something that was hindering my progress." 

"You felt hurt, Hermione, and that's normal. But what you did was ... extreme. I fear you will regret this decision." 

"Thank you for your concern, Professor. May I leave now? I will be late for _Charms_." 

Professor McGonagall shook her head sadly.   
"I- I- You're dismissed."   


Hermione returned to her classes with a flood of gossip. Everywhere she went, people pointed and whispered. But Hermione, without her heart, didn't care. She didn't feel embarrassment, shame or regret. She didn't feel anything at all. 

Harry tried to talk to her alone but she pointedly refused to be alone with him. She was focused only on her schoolwork. Other students began to avoid her, as though there was something 'wrong' with her. Ron and Harry, however, didn't avoid her. They hung around her even more hoping to see some spark of her old self - but in vain. 

Days passed and Hermione did not change at all. Harry had never felt so horrible - and Ron helped remind him that _was_ his fault, so he _should_ feel horrible! It was his foolishness that drove her to such a desperate action. 

He had never felt so empty inside. Harry spent all of his time with her, but nothing he said or did had any affect on her. She was like an automaton - she did her schoolwork, ate, slept and nothing else. 

Ron was still furious with Harry. In full 'brother-mode', he spent every evening with Hermione, determined not the abandon her. Harry was doing the same thing. So every night they glared and yelled at each other across Hermione's table. 

Eventually, Hermione had enough of their 'attentiveness."   
"Your bickering is not conducive to studying. I'm going up to my room." She said. 

Before Ron could yell at him again, Harry got up and went in search of Professor Dumbledore. He knocked on Dumbledore's door and waited for permission to enter. 

"Well, young Harry. I suspect I know why you're here. You want to know about Peter Pettigrew and his golem. We've successfully-"

"No! Yes! Argh! Hermione, Professor, I have to help Hermione! It's my fault she's like this - no heart. I can't live with her like this. It's killing me. I have to help her. Please. What can I do? How can I reverse the spell?" 

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. 

"There is nothing you can do, Harry. There is no counter-spell." 

Harry's shoulders slumped and he shook his head in disbelief. He was sure Dumbledore would have the answer. 

"I can't ... I can't live with her like this. I have to do something." 

"You care for her?" 

"I love her." 

Dumbledore rubbed his beard and made a thoughtful noise. 

"Perhaps ... there is something you can do ..."

"What! Anything! Anything! What can I do?" 

"You could find the author of the spell." 

"Of course! Yes. You know who it is? Where I can find him?" 

"It's a woman. Her name is ... Lhara Mahr." 

* * *

Once again, a huge 'thank you' to everyone reading and reviewing this story. Yes, Harry's acting like a jerk but give him another chance. He WAS trying to do something protective - but guys aren't generally known for doing the most _sensitive_ things...


	9. Chapter 9 Lhara's past and future

Chapter 9

  


Harry looked at Dumbledore in shock and disbelief. 

"Lhara Mahr? _She_ wrote that spell?" 

"Yes. She was one of our finest students. I believe she lives at-"

"Jaspher Hills." Harry finished. 

"Why, yes. You know her, Harry?"   
He nodded. 

"Professor, I'd like to write her immediately and ask her to come here. Maybe she can do something. Would that be alright?" 

"Of course, Harry. Write her tonight and send our fastest owl." 

  


After he sent the owl to Lhara, he went back to the common room and found Ron still there.  
Waiting. Harry decided he had to talk to Ron again and make him understand. 

"Ron, can I talk to you?"   
Ron glared at Harry, but nodded. 

"I need your help. I-I can't help Hermione without you." 

Ron raised an eyebrow.   
"You can't? You seemed pretty confident before. The _great Harry Potter_ can handle anything. Right? Doesn't need his friends." 

"No, Ron. No. That's not it." Harry shook his head and slumped his shoulders. Worry and defeat were etched in his face. "I never ... " he sighed. "I don't know how to explain it." 

Ron crossed his arms across his chest.   
"Try." 

"I never had anyone ... care about me before. I mean, I know my parents loved me but I never felt it, you know? The Dursleys certainly never cared. But then Hermione..." a half-smile flashed across his face. "... she cares about me. I know that. And when I thought someone might hurt her...." He clenched his fist. "... or that I was the cause of her being hurt ..."

"Go on." Ron said, his features softening slightly. 

"Hermione is the first person I've ever loved. I can't lose her. I just can't. And I need my best friend now, more than ever. Please help me." 

Ron unfolded his arms and looked at Harry. Then, as though by magic, all of the tensions between them disappeared. The anger that Ron had been feeling just evaporated. Harry and Hermione needed him.   


"Promise you won't act like a jerk again?"

Harry gave a small laugh.  
"I'll try."

"Yeah. 'Course I'll help ya. What are friends for?" 

Harry's face brightened.   
"Thanks Ron." 

They hugged, like they would after a great Quidditch play, and in that moment Harry felt a weight lift from his shoulders. 

  


Harry received Lhara's answer in the morning.   
_"Harry-  
Leaving on first train in morning.   
Bringing supplies with me.   
Don't lose hope.   
-Lhara"_

Harry and Ron greeted her at the train station and she gave each of them a hug. 

"Ok. Tell me everything."   
Harry told her the whole story quickly. 

"Is it true you wrote that spell, Lhara?" he asked. 

"Yes, Harry, it's true. I wrote it a long time ago. Though, I never actually performed the spell." 

"Why not?" 

"Because there's no ...." She stopped when she saw his face drop. "Because I didn't know how to reverse it. Yet. But we'll figure it out, Harry. Don't worry." 

Lhara squeezed Harry's shoulder and smiled brightly, trying not to show how worried she really was. 

* * *

Lhara set up residence in Professor Sprout's third greenhouse and proceeded to work on the potion day and night. She collected all of the ingredients Hermione had used and tried to find _something to counter them. _

One night she was working late in the greenhouse, scribbling furiously on a parchment, when she heard a noise outside. She glanced down at her wrist. Lhara used her knowledge of plants to fashion a 'magical alarm' of sorts. She enchanted a brilliant red poppy plant to wrap itself around her wrist and at any sign of unusual magical activity it would bloom. 

It was blooming now. 

She reached for her wand and walked calmly outside. The night air was cool and clean in her lungs. She closed the door behind and walked in the direction she thought the noise had come from. 

_"Lumos"_

The area around her wand was illuminated with brilliant light. Lhara caught a pair of eyes in the bushes in front of her before they disappeared. 

_"Deorsum"_

Instantly the bushes pressed themselves flat on the ground exposing what had been hiding behind them.   
A huge black dog. 

Lhara knew she should be afraid but for some reason, she wasn't. She put her wand down and stared at the dog. The dog watched her, but didn't advance or retreat. It just looked at her. Eventually she turned to go back inside but heard a rustling noise. When she turned back around, there stood Sirius Black. 

Emotions ranging from shock to disbelief to happiness flashed across her face.   
"Sirius? Is that you?" 

He took a step closer, into the light, and she saw his face. It was gaunt and pale, the years in prison still showing in his eyes - but it was him! 

"Lhara." His voice was low, rough. His eyes were locked on her as though trying to take in every detail. 

For a brief moment she felt fear. After all, he _had_ been in prison for more than twelve years for murder. Before she could second guess herself, she crossed the distance and hugged him.   
"Sirius, I can't believe it's you! What are you doing here? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you?" 

Sirius hesitated a fraction of a second before returning her embrace.   
_How long had it been since he'd held someone in his arms? _ he thought.

Lhara invited him inside the greenhouse, but he politely refused. He had to keep moving. So they walked across the grounds, keeping in the shadows. 

"How long have you been here?" she asked. 

"Harry wrote me about the golem. I got here after the Quidditch match. Dumbledore and I managed to capture it so I thought the problem was over, then I heard about Hermione. That's why you're here, right?" 

"Yes. I'm trying to help. I .. I hope I can." 

"Why you? Sorry. That came out wrong. I meant, why did they ask you to help?" 

Lhara was suddenly glad for the darkness - hopefully he couldn't see her blushing. 

"I wrote the spell that Hermione used." 

"YOU did? Why?!" 

"Er... it's a long story. I just hope I can find something to help her." 

Sirius reached down and squeezed her hand.   
"You will." 

Lhara felt her stomach flip at his gentle touch.   
_What power did he have to affect her so easily? _

When they came to the edge of the forest, Sirius said he had to go but promised to return the next night. He transformed back into the big black dog and with one last look at Lhara, disappeared into the darkness. 

  


* * *

Thank you, thank to all of my reviewers. This chapter and the next are my little Valentine to Sirius, a noble friend who suffered horribly. He deserves some romance, don't you think? 


	10. Chapter 10 Siriously in love

Chapter 10

True to his word, Sirius showed up the next night. 

Lhara was busy mixing ingredients when she heard a scraping noise and turned to see a huge black paw on a greenhouse window. She put down her things and hurried outside clutching something like a picnic basket. 

Silhouetted in the moonlight, he cut a handsome figure - tall, lean, powerful. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him walk toward her. 

_Honestly, woman. Get a hold of yourself. You're not sixteen anymore, _she told herself. _He's not that good-looking-  
-Shut up, _ she answered.   
Subconsciously a hand went up to smooth her hair and she smiled brightly. 

"Lhara" His voice sent delicious tremors through her body. He held out his hand and together they walked down to the edge of the forest. 

"How are things going?" he asked. 

She sighed.   
"Not as well as I hoped. I thought I'd be further along by now." 

"You're having problems with the ingredients?" 

"No, I think I have the ingredients down, it's the incantation that's slowing me down." 

"You said before that the writing of that spell was a long story. Well, I've got the time." He motioned to the ground next to a large tree. "And it appears you've got some food?" 

Just then his stomach made a rumbling noise and they both laughed.   
"Oh! Sorry! I, uh, haven't been eating regularly lately." He joked. 

They sat down with the basket and began to eat. Sirius waited patiently for her to start her story. 

"I don't know where to begin," she said. 

"Try this - 'A long time ago ...'" 

"A long time ago, I was in love with you." Sirius stopped chewing his food.   
_Say it, _ she thought. _Don't be a coward. Just tell him everything. _

"I was in love with you and I never told you. The whole time we were at Hogwarts. And after. I'd see you with James when I came to visit Lily." She paused and gave a small laugh. "She told me to tell you, you know. She thought you might ... well... anyway this went on for years. We even danced together at their wedding, do you remember?" 

Sirius nodded, his gaze fixed on her, the food forgotten. 

"I was so shy back then. The original shrinking violet. But eventually I worked up enough courage to tell you. Then 'IT' happened. Lily and James were dead, little Harry was gone and you stood accused of betraying them all. 

"I couldn't believe that you could do something like that. I just couldn't. But you were sent to Azkaban so I thought it must be true. But it couldn't be true. I couldn't love someone so coldhearted. So evil." She looked at him with eyes full of sorrow. 

Sirius shook his head slowly but didn't say anything. 

"So I decided I had to remove my heart. I thought it was better to live without one than to live with a heart that loved a killer. I wrote the spell and just when I was about to go through with it, I changed my mind. It sounds strange now, but I had a dream. Lily came to me and told me that pain is part of life and love. I realized I'd be getting rid of the good feelings as well as the bad." 

She looked quickly toward the lake and brushed away a stray tear. After she took a deep breath, she continued. 

"Anyway, I didn't perform the spell. But I did register it with the Ministry of Magic, like you're supposed to. And years later one of the editors of a new spell book asked me if she could include it. That's how it came to be in Hermione's spell book." 

Sirius sat in silence. He seemed to be just staring at her, no doubt trying to take in all she'd just told him. 

Eventually, he spoke.   
"What about now?" 

"What do you mean?" 

He cleared his throat.   
"How do you feel about me now?" 

Her heart flipped with joy. _Could it be possible he had feelings for her? _  
She tried to control her nervousness by looking at the ground as though it was the most interesting thing in the world, unable to meet his piercing gaze. 

"A lot has happened since the last time we knew each other, all those years ago," she said quietly. "We're different people now." 

Sirius nodded reluctantly and looked away. 

"So I guess we'd better get to know each other _now, _ right?"   
She reached over and held his hand, willing him to look back at her. 

When he looked at her, his eyes were shining bright and a smile was growing.   
"Yeah. I guess so." 

Lhara smiled broadly and touched his face.   
"I always loved your smile." She said. 

He covered her hand with his own and seemed to devour her with his eyes.   
"Lhara. Sweet Lhara." 

They leaned in and kissed, a slow gentle exploration of old souls.   
She sighed when their lips parted. 

"Mmm. That was worth the wait." She said. 

Soon - too soon for both of them - he had to leave. She felt a pang of something like loss when she watched him disappear into the forest, but shook it off. Sirius was safe on Hogwarts grounds and had promised to continue to visit her as she worked on the counter spell. Sirius was back in her life and that was a good thing. Maybe things could work out right for everybody ... 

* * *

After two more days of intense research, Lhara had what she thought was the base for the counter-spell. She was worried, however. She didn't know if Hermione would even attempt it! 

Without her heart, it would be difficult to convince Hermione WHY she should attempt this spell. After all, Hermione saw nothing wrong with the way things were now. How could they get her to do it? They called a brain-storming meeting. 

"Maybe we could paralyze her?" Ron suggested. "If we put her in a full body-bind then we can just pour the potion down her throat?" 

"An interesting suggestion, Ron, but she needs to be able to speak. She had to drink the potion AND recite the words." Lhara said. 

"Oh" Ron said dejectedly. They sat in silence, pondering this problem. 

"Maybe ..." Harry started. 

"Maybe what?" 

"Maybe we could tell her it's extra credit for one of her classes?" 

Ron brightened. "Brilliant! She'd do anything for extra credit!" 

"I think you're right. She's likely to do whatever a professor tells her to do, right? Who is her _Women's Studies_ professor?" Lhara asked. 

"Professor Saphron. But what about that jar? How are we gonna get that?" Harry said. 

"Leave that to me! I can be in an out in a flash. She'll never know I was there."   
Ron said, confidently. 

With all of them working together, there was hope for Hermione.

So, Lhara arranged it with Professor Saphron, to trick Hermione - for her own good. Professor Saphron would ask Hermione to stay after class to assist her with a 'new spell'. She'd get her to drink the potion and say the incantation. Harry, Ron and Lhara would all hide in the back of the room and watch. 

It was the worst 13 hours wait of Harry's life. He couldn't eat or sleep.   
_Would she take the potion? Would it work? Would she forgive him? _

Finally, the moment arrived. Professor Saphron asked Hermione to stay and while the professor was busy explaining what needed to be done, Harry, Ron and Lhara slipped into the room. 

"Now, Hermione, as my best student I'm sure you'll have no problem with this spell." Professor Saphron had placed the jar containing Hermione's heart close to her, but hidden from Hermione's view - since it had to be close to the spell caster. 

"Thank you, Professor. I'll try not to let you down." 

Hermione picked up the potion and drank it quickly, grimacing at its bitter taste.   
Harry started to move closer to her. 

"Now, say the words." 

Everyone held their breath as Hermione said in a clear voice. _"Amore Cordis"_

Harry looked at the jar and then Hermione. 

_Nothing had happened!? _

He must have made a noise, because suddenly Hermione saw Harry in the shadows. 

"Harry, what are you doing? Ron? Miss Mahr? What is going on?" 

Harry shook his head in utter despair. She was unchanged - still without her heart.   
The spell didn't work. 

_It didn't work. _


	11. Chapter 11 Back where you belong

Chapter 11

  


Harry moved to the counter and picked up the jar - Hermione's jar.   
It was still throbbing steadily.  
The spell didn't work. 

_It didn't work?!? How could this be? They'd done everything right, hadn't they?!   
What went wrong? _

He heard Ron and Lhara groan as they too realized ... 

Hermione, never slow-witted, quickly deduced what they'd been up to.  
"You were attempting to get me to return my heart?" 

Harry nodded sadly. He ran a hand over his face in weary resolution. 

"Why did you attempt to trick me? What did you hope to gain?" 

"YOU! I wanted YOU back, Hermione!"  
Harry voice nearly broke, his eyes pleading with her. 

"May I have that back now, please?" Hermione asked politely, holding her hand out for the jar. 

Harry shook his head.   
_Why didn't it work? Why couldn't she - I-_

Suddenly, like a fog lifting, he knew. He knew! He knew the answer. 

Hermione was gathering up her books, headed for the door. 

"Do you know why it didn't work, Hermione? Why you couldn't put your heart back?" 

She turned around to face him.  
"I would presume because the spell was faulty or incomplete." 

Harry shook his head.  
"No. That's not why. It's because this" - he motioned to the jar - "doesn't belong to you." 

Hermione raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.  
"What are you talking about?" 

"It's not yours, Hermione. _Your heart ... belongs to me_."

He stepped closer to her. 

"Don't you see? Your heart is mine. Just as my heart is yours." 

He cupped her face with his hand.   
"I love you, Hermione." 

"Amore Cordis" he said. 

Hermione and Harry both gasped as the jar thudded loudly and seemed to glow for a second. 

"AMORE CORDIS" Harry said again, more forcefully. 

The jar glowed brightly and grew warmer in Harry's hand. When the glow subsided, the jar no longer moved. Harry put it aside and had to catch Hermione as she started to collapse. 

"Hermione? Can you hear me? Are you alright? Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey's." Harry said, picking her up in his arms. 

Her eyes fluttered but she didn't open them. "N-n-o-o." Hermione shook her head. "I'm fine." She mumbled. 

"Take her back to her room, Harry." Lhara said. 

So the small group made their way back to Hermione's room, Harry carrying her every step of the way. 

"She's going to be alright, right Lhara?" Ron asked quietly. 

"Physically, yes. She'll be fine. It's just an exhausting process." 

They placed on her on her bed, Harry and Ron hovering around as Lhara examined Hermione. 

"Ok, she's resting comfortably. Can you boys give her some peace and quiet? Just let her rest?" 

"Yeah, sure." Harry said, never taking his eyes from Hermione, and pulled up a chair next to her bed. 

"Let me know if anything changes, ok?" Ron asked.  
Harry nodded and smiled. 

"Thanks, guys. Thanks for everything." He squeezed Hermione's hand and smoothed some hair from her forehead. 

Everyone left the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. 

Hours passed as he sat by her side, waiting for her to wake up.   
Eventually, he stood to regain the circulation in his legs and walked around her room. He touched her hair brush, her open _Potions_ book, her Gryffindor scarf - each item bringing a small smile. He was going to sit down again when he hand stopped on a book entitled, 'Journal'. 

He opened it and found himself reading Hermione's diary. The entry was dated last year sometime after her visit with Viktor. 

_ "I never thought a Muggle movie would hold any insights into how I was feeling - especially a teen T&A movie - but I was wrong. I was watching this movie last night and one character could have been me. What she said almost broke my heart because it was the Truth and you always know when you hear the Truth. _

Here's what the character said:   
'I was born with the greatest curse of all.   
I'm ugly and I'm also very smart.   
I know what's in store for me.   
No one will ever have passion for me.   
People all around me will be falling in love, and making love, and getting married and having kids. The closest thing I'll ever have to that is someone inviting me to their Christmas dinner because they feel guilty I might be spending the holiday alone. Or if I'm lucky, my male counterpart - an obese man or guy with a hair lip - will invite me to coffee. And we'll pretend to love each other and tie the knot because we're so desperately afraid of growing old alone.' 

As she said those words I knew that would be my fate too.   
No one will ever love me with real passion. 

Sometimes you can be too smart for your own good." 

"You know, you should never read a young woman's diary. They really don't like it. Trust me, I know."  
Harry turned around and saw Sirius standing in the doorway pulling off what looked like Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "How is she?" 

"She hasn't woken up yet." 

Sirius touched Hermione's forehead gently.   
"She's resting. She'll sleep until morning, Harry. You should get some rest yourself." 

"I can't." Harry sat at Hermione's side. He looked at her sleeping face, his eyes haunted and circled by dark rings. _Did she really think no one would ever truly love her? I have to tell her ..._

"Harry, you look like you're drowning in guilt." 

Harry hunched his shoulders and nodded, unable to look at Sirius.   
"No matter what I do ... " His voice was thick with emotion. 

Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.   
"I'm afraid you're destined for more than your fair share of troubles." 

"But why? Why must my life be so HARD? Why can't I just be happy? I was _happy_ with Hermione. For the first time. And then I ...."

_ "You'll be happy again, Harry, I promise." _ Sirius said to himself.

"Harry, drink this. It will help." Sirius held out a small cup of hot chocolate, seemingly out of nowhere. "Please." Reluctantly, Harry agreed. 

Within a minute, Harry had fallen fast asleep, his head resting on the edge of Hermione's bed. 

Sirius touched the head of Hermione and then Harry, like a father tucking in his children.   
"Sleep well and dream well." He was about to turn away but looked back to the two sleeping figures. "Life's too short for misunderstandings. Forgive one another. Alright?" 

Seemingly of their own accord, their heads nodded slightly.   
Sirius smiled and closed the door behind him. 

  


* * *

A couple of people successfully guessed that the reason the spell didn't work was that Harry needed to be involved somehow. I loved the idea of your heart actually belonging to someone else - that it beat just for them. That was the basis of this story, finding the person your heart beats for.  
Just a couple of more chapters to go as I wind this down. Thanks again to all of my reviewers - I get the biggest kick reading what you guys think! Thank you! New chapters soon!


	12. Chapter 12 Kiss and makeup

Chapter 12

As the morning sun streamed through Hermione's window, she started to wake up. She felt a weight against her leg and thinking it was Crookshanks, she absently ran her hand over it but instantly realized it wasn't her cat. She looked down and there was Harry. He was sound asleep sitting in a chair, his head resting on her bed. 

Smiling, she gently stroked his hair. After a moment, he stirred under her hand. When he raised his head, he put his glasses back in their right place and rubbed his neck.

"Hermione!" he said, urgently. "Are you alright?"

She smiled and nodded.   
For a heartbeat or two, they just stared at one another. Then, they both spoke at the same time. 

"I'm sorry!"   
"I'm sorry!" 

Harry forged ahead with his apology.   
"Hermione, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen." 

She nodded again.   
"I know." 

"I was so wrong to not tell you what was going on. I just - I just ... I couldn't let you get hurt because of me." 

Hermione's smile faded. 

"And yet _you_ hurt me. The things you said to me ... no one else could have hurt me like you did." 

"Don't you think I _know_ that?" his voice broke. His eyes pleaded with her to understand.   
"These past few days have been torture, Hermione. I would give anything -_anything_- to go back and do it all over again. I even asked McGonagall for the Time Turner - she said no." 

"I could have told you that. She'd never give it to you for something like that." 

"I was crazy, you know. Crazy about you and desperate to keep you safe. Even if you hated me, you'd still be alive. But I never dreamed you'd ... you know ... take your heart out."

Now it was Hermione's turn to look ashamed.   
"Why did you do it, Hermione?" he asked quietly. 

She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.  
"You can only be laughed at so many times, Harry." 

He squeezed her hand tightly and shook his head as if willing it to be untrue, his face full of anguish as she continued. 

"It's one thing if someone makes fun of me for studying or answering questions ... because I know I'm right. I know the answers. But I don't know how to handle people talking about us ... about me." 

"So we're in the same boat. I don't know what I'm doing either - but I know I want to do it with you. Only you. Can't we figure this out together?" 

Hermione looked at him hopefully. He sat on the edge of her bed and cupped her face with his hand. 

"I know I don't deserve it, but can you forgive me? Will you let me make it up to you?" 

She smiled, tears shinning in her eyes. 

"I can't promise I won't make more stupid mistakes, - in fact, I probably _will_ make more mistakes - but I promise to always talk to you first." He continued.

"You better." She said, laughing. He leaned forward and kissed her. His thumb brushed away a tear from her cheek and he kissed where it had been. 

As Hermione quickly brushed away more tears, Ron knocked and opened the door. But he saw Hermione crying and immediately got the wrong idea. He shut the door and turned on his friends, angry and frustrated. 

"Alright, that's it! No more!" He waved his hands emphatically. "We're gonna fix this right now! You BOTH acted like idiots, if you ask me." 

He pointed to Harry.   
"YOU should have told us what was going on. We're your friends for Merlin's sake!" 

Then he turned to Hermione.   
"And YOU should have talked to us before you did something so _stupid_. You were _both_ wrong. Now kiss and make up so we can go to breakfast." 

Harry and Hermione looked at Ron with confused expressions and then both burst out laughing. 

"Whatever you say, Ron."   
Harry leaned forward and happily kissed her. 

"I'm sorry, Hermione."   
"I'm sorry too, Harry." 

"Great! Now that _that's_ settled, let's go. I'm starved!" 

Later, when the three of them were walking down to the Great Hall, Harry thought to himself that everything finally felt right again. 

But they couldn't manage to avoid Malfoy and his little gang of troublemakers. They were trying to have a quiet breakfast, but could hear the nasty comments across the tables. 

"Oh no! There's Potter. Be careful, girls. Try not to fall in love with him!"   
Malfoy and his cronies snickered from their table across the room. 

"Ignore him" Hermione whispered. Harry looked at her as if to say "Are you sure?" 

"Can you tell the difference now, Potter? She was a stone cold bitch before!"   
The Slytherin girls laughed out loud. Harry's face burned red as he stood up and shouted at their table. 

"Shut your mouth, you pompous git!" 

"No. Don't! He wants you to get into trouble." Hermione said, pulling on Harry's robes. 

Ron was standing too, glaring at them.   
"I'm gonna clean your clock, Malfoy!" 

"Ooooo. Don't let your Weasley dog get me, Potter! He might not have all of his shots!" Draco laughed in mock terror as the rest of the table laughed uproariously. Hermione now tried to hold them both back. 

Harry was boiling over with rage. He'd felt impotent these past few days, unable to help Hermione. All of his guilt and bad feelings were now being changed into an overwhelming anger at Malfoy. Enough was enough. 

"I challenge you to a Wizard's Duel, Malfoy!" Harry yelled. 

The entire Great Hall quieted down as Harry's voice traveled around the stone walls. For an instant, uncertainty and fear flashed in Draco's eyes. But surrounded by his lackeys, he had to save face. 

"Any time, Potter. It'll be my pleasure to teach you how a REAL wizard duels." 

"Tonight. After dinner. In the south hallway." 

"Fine. I'll _try_ to look surprised when you don't show up." Malfoy sneered. "And when I'm done with you, I'll teach your Weasley dog and your Mudblood a lesson too."

But now Hermione was livid. She walked over to Malfoy's section of the Slytherin table and leaned close to them. 

"Harry's faced Voldemort THREE times. What makes you think _you_ can beat him, _little Death-Eater_?" 

When Malfoy didn't have an immediate answer, Hermione laughed and walked away. Harry and Ron joined her outside in the hallway. 

"That was bloody fantastic! You were GREAT!" Ron said, clapping Hermione on the back. Harry was busy hugging her tightly. 

"Thanks" he whispered. 

"Challenging him in public. That was very smart, Harry. Well done." Hermione said, flushed from her outburst. Then she added. "He's such an ass." 

"I can't wait to see his face when you beat him!" Ron said excitedly. 

"Well, I haven't won yet. I think I'm gonna go practice." 

"We'll help you!" Hermione and Ron said together. 

  


News of the Wizards Duel spread around the school in record time. It was all anyone could talk about. Harry and Ron were busy practicing with their wands while Hermione scoured her books for any new or unusual spells to use against Malfoy.

"He's almost certainly going to try to cheat again." she said. 

They all remembered their second year, the first Wizards Duel, Malfoy had gone on 'two' rather than wait for the official count. 

"Who's going to officiate? McGonagall and Snape are both biased to their own houses." Hermione asked. 

"How about Professor Sprout? She's pretty fair. And she won't care which of us wins." 

"Yeah, Harry. That sounds like a good idea. I'll go ask her."   
Hermione was about to leave when Harry called out to her. 

"You don't know how to turn Malfoy into a ferret again, do you?"   
They all had a good laugh remembering Draco as the white ferret. 

  


Dinner that night was a strange thing to witness. The entire Slytherin table was engaged in a staring/glaring war with the entire Gryffindor table. The hall was unusually quiet as people hurried through their food. As soon as they finished they started making their way to the south hallway. 

Harry ate normally and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He didn't want to admit it but his stomach was in knots. It seemed like the entire school was going to watch this duel. What if he didn't win? What if Malfoy knocked him down like the first time? What if he was humiliated by that punk? 

_No, he thought. I will not lose. I've faced worse than him and survived. What's the saying? Think positive. Yeah, that's it. _

Hermione touched his arm.   
"Are you ready?" 

Nearly everyone else was leaving the room. He nodded and walked out with Hermione and Ron flanking him. He touched his wand for reassurance. It gave a small vibration that tingled up his arm. The hallway was crowded with students anxious to see this showdown. They were standing at least four people thick but parted when they saw Harry. 

He swallowed nervously and let out the breath he had been holding. _Relax. _  
At the other end of the hallway stood Malfoy. He smirked when he saw Harry. 

"So you decided to show after all. I owe you knute, Crabbe." On cue, Crabbe and Goyle laughed at Malfoy's joke. 

Harry took his position and drew his wand.   
"Good luck." Hermione said as she stepped back, her fingers crossed. 

Ron clapped Harry on the arm.   
"Kick his ass." 

Harry smiled and nodded. He started to relax a little.   
Just then, the crowd parted again and Professor Sprout appeared. 

"Alright. We all know this sort of thing isn't exactly welcomed at Hogwarts, but I'm making an exception for you two." She looked at them meaningfully. 

"Now, the rules. You'll face each other, wands drawn. On the count of 'three' you'll each unleash your spell. If you incapacitate your opponent such that he is unable to conjure another spell, you'll be declared the winner. And vice versa. If after the first round, neither of you is down, we'll continue with the second round and so on. Clear?" 

They both nodded. 

"Now, if either you 'jumps the count', and fires before I reach 'three'" -she looked at Malfoy and he blushed red -"you'll be disqualified. Also, if your opponent is down, you cannot fire another spell. Understood?" 

Again, they both nodded. 

"Alright then. Let's begin." 


	13. Chapter 13 The Duel

Chapter 13

"Alright. Let's begin." 

Nearly a hundred students crowded around Harry and Malfoy to watch this covert Wizard's Duel. They both drew their wands and waited for the signal from Professor Sprout who stood halfway between them as the official. 

"One" 

Harry drew in a breath and the wand tingled in his grip. 

"Two" 

He let out his breath and squeezed the wand tighter. 

"Three" 

"_Contego!_"   
Harry's voice boomed down the hallway. He had been concentrating on his spell so hard that he barely heard the gasp from the crowd. 

He had correctly picked a defensive spell to protect himself from Malfoy's disarming spell - _'Expelliarmus'_. Malfoy looked at Harry in confusion and surprise. That spell should have knocked Harry to the ground but instead, he stood there unharmed. 

Professor Sprout stepped forward.   
"Well done, both of you. Alright. Round two." 

Harry took another deep breath and let it out slowly. He glanced to his side and saw Hermione beaming at him (and chewing her lower lip anxiously) and Ron cheering wildly. He smiled back at them.

"Ready? One" 

Harry closed his eyes. 

"Two" 

The sounds of the hallway faded away. 

"Three" 

Harry opened his eyes in time to see sparks fly from the end of his wand and Malfoy being pushed back to the wall. A huge cheer went up from the crowd. Malfoy had never gotten off his spell! But because he didn't drop his wand, they would do another round. 

"No disarment. Round three." Professor Sprout said. 

Harry didn't see Malfoy nod to Goyle - but Ron did. Because Ron didn't trust Malfoy to fight fair, he'd been watching him intently. Goyle slowly slid closer to Professor Sprout. Then, very slyly, he pulled out a leather pouch and sprinkled something at Sprout's feet. 

"Hey! What are you doing?! Look out!" Ron shouted as he tried to push his way over. 

Goyle looked up - caught red-handed - dropped the pouch and tried to run but several students tackled him. Just as Professor Sprout looked down at her feet, a cloud of gray smoke rose up and she collapsed. 

Nearly everyone rushed over to the Professor and someone said, "She's asleep!"   
Hermione correctly said, "It must be asphodel! No other powder works that fast. But how? Only Professor Snape has access to asphodel ..."

Now all eyes turned to Malfoy. He was standing with his wand drawn, fury etched in his face. 

"Now we're going to finish this, Potter." he ground out through clenched teeth. 

Harry shook his head in disbelief.   
"You drugged a Professor?! Are you mad?" 

"Coward!" He pointed his wand at Harry. "I always knew you were a coward!" 

"I'm not a coward."   
He took his dueling position again. 

"Harry, no! Don't!" Hermione said, touching Harry's arm. "He's lost his mind. He's dangerous!" 

Harry gently took her hand off his arm.   
"Don't worry." He looked at Malfoy. "Someone count us down." 

Ron stood where Professor Sprout had. 

"Ready? One" 

"Two" 

Harry gripped and regripped his wand, the strange tingling going up from his wand through his arm. 

"Three" 

Brilliant bolts of light flew from Harry's wand and knocked Malfoy end over end until he hit the back wall again. His wand flew from his hand and fell in two pieces on the floor. Malfoy lay there gasping for breath, his eyes wild with anger, shock and disbelief. 

As the crowd cheered the victory, Harry walked slowly over to Malfoy and did the most extraordinary thing. He offered Malfoy his hand. 

"I don't want to be your enemy. I never did." Harry said. 

The crowd quieted down waiting for Malfoy's response. 

But Malfoy was beyond acknowledging this act of honor. He'd been thoroughly defeated by his enemy in front of the school. How could he live this down? 

With a sneer on his face, Malfoy knocked Harry's hand away. He stood up, straightened his robe. 

"Don't flatter yourself." He said as he spit at Harry's feet. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot. Don't ever turn your back on me, Potter." 

As Harry backed away, Malfoy reached into his robe and pulled out his own leather pouch. 

A cry erupted from the crowd and everyone tried to get away from him. People started pushing and shouting, panic was setting in. 

Suddenly a voice came booming through the hallway. 

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!!?" 

For the first (and perhaps last) time in Harry's life, he was glad to see Snape. 

Professor Severus Snape was standing at the end of the hallway in a full blown rage. His black eyes snapped to each and every face as though assessing guilt. When he got to Harry, his lips pulled up in a sneer. 

"Illegal dueling, Potter?" a grin of delight distorted his face. As visions of Harry's expulsion danced in front of him, he saw poor Professor Sprout. 

"WHO DID THIS?!?!?" 

Those who could pull their eyes away from Snape, pointed toward Malfoy. But there was no one there! Malfoy had disappeared! Somehow he'd managed to slip away! More frightened cries erupted from the younger students. 

"Potter, Granger and Weasley. Should I be surprised?" 

"Sir, it was Malfoy and Goyle who did this to Professor Sprout." A prefect from Hufflepuff had stepped forward. "I saw the whole thing." 

"Did you now? And why didn't you stop this illegal duel? Why didn't you notify the head of your house?" 

The prefect slumped his shoulders and mumbled something unintelligible - clearly cut to the quick by Snape's infamous temper. Snape had a way of speaking that flowed like honey but was sharp and cutting like a knife. 

"Bring him here." Snape motioned to the students who had Goyle in their impromptu custody. "What happened?" 

Goyle swallowed and looked away. Snape narrowed his eyes and curled his lip."Not talking, Mr. Goyle? Should I use something to loosen your lips? I can't promise it won't be painless..."

Goyle shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.   
"It was Draco, Sir. He told me to do it. He said ... he said ..."

Professor Snape knelt down beside Professor Sprout and sniffed. He noted the powder at her feet and frowned. 

" 'He said' what, Mr. Goyle?" 

"He said he was gonna teach Potter a lesson, sir." 

"I see. And was part of the _lesson_ to break into my office and steal from me?"   
Snape drew himself up to his full imposing height and drew the edges of his cloak close to him. A chill ran up Harry's spine at this sight. He couldn't help but be reminded of the Death-Eaters and the fact that Snape used to be one. 

"You!" Snape motioned to the Hufflepuff prefect. "Carefully move the Professor into one of the nearby classrooms then notify Mrs. Pomfrey that we'll be bringing the Professor up to the hospital after I administer the antidote." 

The prefect nodded and hurriedly gathered some students to do Snape's bidding. 

"Where did Mr. Malfoy go?" Snape asked.

Goyle shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Everyone else in the hallway did pretty much the same thing. 

"None of you saw anything?" he made a sound of disgust. "Very well. Report to the Headmaster's office immediately." He glared at Harry, Hermione, Ron and Goyle (still being held by several students.) 

Snape disappeared down the hallway leaving them in a state of confusion. They slowly started walking toward Dumbledore's office, trying to grasp the recent events. 

"I can't believe what happened!" Harry said. 

"I know! Attacking a Professor? He'll be expelled for sure!" Hermione said, shaking her head in disbelief. 

"Yeah. Isn't it fantastic?" Ron said, a huge smile on his face. "This has to be the happiest day of my life!" 

* * *

A/N: My most sincere apologies for taking so long between chapters. I was caught up in Halloween (costumes and decorations). But now the story can continue! Thanks for all of your reviews! One or two more chapters should do it!


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